Mob (in)justice: thief lynched to death

Three Gujranwala cops booked over negligence, 14 people held

GUJRANWALA:

Police have registered a case against several people, including three cops, after a man died following torture by a mob on suspicion of trying to steal a motorcycle.

In addition to the perpetrators, action was also initiated against the three police officials over negligence of duty. They were suspended after an initial probe into the incident.

The incident took place in the jurisdiction of Arup police station where a man named Ashraf, who was suspected of stealing a motorbike, was severely tortured by a mob.

When his condition deteriorated, local people informed the police.

A police team led by ASI Wahidullah arrived at the scene, but reportedly took the suspect to the police station instead of taking him to a hospital.

His condition further deteriorated in the police station.

The police then rushed him to hospital in a government vehicle, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Gujranwala City Police Officer Syed Hamad Abid immediately seized available footage of the crime scene after the incident was reported..

The police registered a murder case and arrested 14 people suspected of being involved in the violence, including Mukhtar, Waqas, Irfan, Nawaz, Aqeel, Nasir, Naveed, Tahir, Abdul Rehman, Babar Hussain, Faisal, Musa and Nasir.

Action was also taken against the ASI and two other officials for not taking the victim to the hospital on time.

Inspector General of Police Rao Sardar Ali Khan sought a report about the case from the Gujranwala RPO.

The victim's brother, Shaukat, said while speaking to reporters that he had been killed cruelly.

The CPO visited the home of the deceased and assured the family that those who had committed the atrocity were being identified with the help of CCTV footage and everyone involved in the crime would be punished.

The arrested suspects included three nominated in the case, the police said, adding that the case against the three cops had been registered on the charge of negligence, while they had also been suspended from service.

The IGP directed the CPO of Gujranwala to conduct an inquiry into the incident and said strict legal action should be taken against those involved in violence.

Rao Sardar Ali said no one could be allowed to take the law into his own hands and no lenience should be shown in legal proceedings against those involved in the case.

CPO Hamad Abid said that the mob had tortured Ashraf over suspicion of being a motorcycle thief, from which he died.

He said the Gujranwala police had arrested 14 suspects, including three nominated in the complaint. Police teams were conducting raids to nab the other suspects, he added.

He said every aspect of the case was being investigated.

Members of the victim's family said he was a poor scrap dealer who had three children.

They said Ashraf had gone to Lohianwala from Yousufpura for work on Monday evening.

They claimed that the motorcycle of the deceased had run out of fuel and he had mistakenly touched another motorbike after drinking water near a petrol pump. After this, people gathered at the spot, accused him of theft and brutally thrashed him.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2022.